Could the homologous sequence of anti-inflammatory pentapeptide (MLIF) produced by Entamoeba histolytica in the N protein of rabies virus affect the inflammatory process?

Rabies surveillance in the United States during 2010

During 2010, 48 states and Puerto Rico reported 6,154 rabid animals and 2 human rabies cases to the CDC, representing an 8% decrease from the 6,690 rabid animals and 4 human cases reported in 2009. Hawaii and Mississippi did not report any laboratory-confirmed rabid animals during 2010. Approximately 92% of reported rabid animals were wildlife. Relative contributions by the major animal groups were as follows: 2,246 raccoons (36.5%), 1,448 skunks (23.5%), 1,430 bats (23.2%), 429 foxes (6.9%), 303 cats (4.9%), 71 cattle (1.1 %), and 69 dogs (1.1 %). Compared with 2009, number of reported rabid animals decreased across all animal types with the exception of a 1 % increase in the number of reported rabid cats. Two cases of rabies involving humans were reported from Louisiana and Wisconsin in 2010. Louisiana reported an imported human rabies case involving a 19-year-old male migrant farm worker who had a history of a vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) bite received while in Mexico. This represents the first human rabies case reported in the United States confirmed to have been caused by a vampire bat rabies virus variant. Wisconsin reported a human rabies case involving a 70-year-old male that was confirmed to have been caused by a rabies virus variant associated with tri-colored bats (Perimyotis subflavus).

Peptide sequences identified by phage display are immunodominant functional motifs of Pet and Pic serine proteases secreted by Escherichia coli and Shigella flexneri

Plasmid-encoded toxin (Pet) and protein involved in colonization (Pic), are serine protease autotransporters of Enterobacteriaceae (SPATEs) secreted by enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC), which display the GDSGSG sequence or the serine motif. Our research was directed to localize functional sites in both proteins using the phage display method. From a 12mer linear and a 7mer cysteine-constrained (C7C) libraries displayed on the M13 phage pIII protein we selected different mimotopes using IgG purified from sera of children naturally infected with EAEC producing Pet and Pic proteins, and anti-Pet and anti-Pic IgG purified from rabbits immunized with each one of these proteins. Children IgG selected a homologous group of sequences forming the consensus sequence, motif, PQPxK, and the motifs PGxI/LN and CxPDDSSxC were selected by the rabbit anti-Pet and anti-Pic IgGs, respectively. Analysis of the amino terminal region of a panel of SPATEs showed the presence in all of them of sequences matching the PGxI/LN or CxPDDSSxC motifs, and in a three-dimensional model (Modeller 9v2) designed for Pet, both these motifs were found in the globular portion of the protein, close to the protease active site GDSGSG. Antibodies induced in mice by mimotopes carrying the three aforementioned motifs were reactive with Pet, Pic, and with synthetic peptides carrying the immunogenic mimotope sequences TYPGYINHSKA and LLPQPPKLLLP, thus confirming that the peptide moiety of the selected phages induced the antibodies specific for the toxins. The antibodies induced in mice to the PGxI/LN and CxPDDSSxC mimotopes inhibited fodrin proteolysis and macrophage chemotaxis biological activities of Pet. Our results showed that we were able to generate, by a phage display procedure, mimotopes with sequence motifs PGxI/LN and CxPDDSSxC, and to identify them as functional motifs of the Pet, Pic and other SPATEs involved in their biological activities.